YOUR RETIREMENT'S AT RISK

Dear AFSCME Members:

On Monday, September 23, the Pension Management Oversight Commission met to discuss the privatizing of annuities within your PERF. This would mean a 40 to 45 percent reduction in your retirement. Democratic lawmakers and labor unions continue to push against the change.

Senator Karen Tallian made a motion to the Pension Board recommending they hold off on the change while lawmakers and the public continue vetting the proposal. Republican Senator Boots said a decision would be made at the next meeting on October 21, 2013 on whether or not to hold off on the change. That meeting is fast approaching and we need you there!

We will gather at the AFSCME 962 office at 1424 N. Pennsylvania St. at 8:45 a.m. for a briefing before the hearing on Monday, October 21, 2013. Donuts and coffee will be provided. We will then proceed to the hearing at 10:00 a.m. at 200 West Washington Street, State House, Room 431, Indianapolis, IN 46204. Please plan to show up in your AFSCME Green and show the Pension Management Oversight Commission we mean business when it comes to our Retirement!

We need to fill the hallways. Please RSVP to Crystal at 317-632-1432.

Meeting Scheduled

October 12, from 6-7:30ish PM at Unity of Bloomington, 4001 S. Rogers St, entrance is in the back from the parking lot.

Agenda includes staff parking, a request to consider Local assistance/scholarship for State-Library (re)certification, meeting our new Council 62 representative Cathy Myer, and Local nominations for two steward positions.

Offices that will be open for nominations are:

Two steward positions (two one-year term).

I strongly encourage you to consider nominating yourself or someone else for a position. Members need not be present to be nominated, but must find someone who will be present to nominate them at the meeting. Members may nominate themselves. All members nominated will have the chance to accept or decline nomination.

This is the first step in our elections, and it is very important that we have as many members as possible present for nominations to ensure a representative voice! Uncontested nominations will result in immediate installment in the position. Contested nominations will be decided in a secret-ballot election in November 2013.

Other items on the agenda for the evening include an initial discussion of the future of staff parking, and a discussion of Local-provided financial relief to staff certification at the State level.

Contract Ratification Meeting August 3rd

We are wrapping up our negotiations for our new contract with MCPL, and anticipate a joint submission going to the Board at the next Work Session (8/14) to be voted on at the August Board meeting (8/21).

Our Local will meet at the Runcible Spoon (downstairs) to vote to ratify the new contract. No food service will be available - we are just using the space at the Spoon. To have a vote, you must attend - no proxies or absentee ballots are allowed. Please see Section 5 of our Local By-laws for more information. Needless to say, I'd like as many members as possible to attend and vote.

Posters will be up on the boards shortly, but consider this your official notification of the Contract Voting meeting.

- Chris

AFSCME Local 2802 Bylaw Action: Contract Voting Procedure
Upon receipt of the “Last Best Contract Proposal” from the Library, the following procedure is to be followed by the negotiation team of AFSCME Local 2802:

• the “Last Best Contract Proposal” will not be discussed or released by the AFSCME Local 2802 in whole or in part to the general membership or any third party including the media until the start of the meeting at which the contract is submitted to the members for review and ballot vote.
• the president will notify the members of Local 2802 when the “Last Best Contract Proposal” has been received from the Library and will outline the steps in the voting process to the members.
• a minimum of (7) seven calendar days’ notice will be given to the members of the bargaining unit before voting can take place.
• the proposed contract vote will be done by paper ballot. As per AFSCME International rules, there will be one vote per eligible member; no absentee ballots or proxy voting will be allowed.
• whether the proposal passes or fails, the results of the vote will be announced at the meeting. The exact totals of the voting may be announced at a later date for strategic negotiation reasons.

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